Here’s the Best Game of September 2015

September 2015 was a brutal month for gaming… and by that, we mean on our wallets. A lot of amazing games both on the AAA and indie ends were released and put us in a difficult situation of choosing just ONE to be our game of the month. Some of us disagreed, and some of us had our own personal winners, but we eventually settled on one consensus pick. Without further ado:

The Game of the Month for September 2015 is…

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

It may not have been perfect and it may not have been the swan song everyone was hoping for, but it was Hideo Kojima’s final Metal Gear game and it was a hell of an effort. Certainly enough to win our Game of the Month honors for September 2015! Here’s what our staff had to say:

Senior Editor Ishmael Romero

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain manages to do something for me that the fourth installment failed to do. It captivated me with its gameplay. Yes, the series is commonly known for its convoluted plot and sometimes wacky characters, but each and every game felt like it brought something new to the table. Metal Gear Solid V: TPP does that and then some.

From the moment you hit that open world and see that this is a true MGS stealth playground, there is no turning back. Sneaking around back to avoid all guards, or methodically picking off each one so that you can strap them to a balloon and make them work for you is absolutely amazing. Of course, you had the option of just decimating everything in sight (provided that you didn’t mind a bit of aggressive attention), and that’s really what makes Metal Gear Solid V: TPP such a great game. It provides freedom to reach your goal how you see fit. It also doesn’t hurt that it manages to keep you captivated throughout every single experiment. Truly a superb game.

News Editor ZhiQing Wan

It shouldn’t be this easy to pick a Game of the Month, but Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain just blew everything else out of the water this September. Sure, the story might not have been up to snuff with what we’ve all come to expect from the MGS games, but there’s just no denying that the stealth action gameplay here has been polished to near perfection.

There’s just so much to do and explore in Metal Gear Solid V: TPP, with multiple methods of tackling a single mission. You’ll be sinking tons of hours into it and it is a truly immersive experience. And if you thought framerate was never really an important factor in video games, I implore you to just take a look at Metal Gear Solid V: TPP. This game is a drop dead gorgeous technical marvel on consoles, and you’d be lying if you said you aren’t just a little bit seduced by how well it runs, how good it looks, and how damn fun it is to play

Honorable Mentions

Destiny: The Taken King

Managing Editor Ed McGlone

Destiny’s first year was a roller coaster ride of emotions filled with highs and lows. However, The Taken King has kicked off Year Two in a big way. Stuff that sucked in Year One, like the lackluster story and random loot drops, have been drastically improved. The Taken King also adds three awesome new subclasses, a completely new area to patrol and explore, and the best raid by far to date.

Although Destiny was never original Final Fantasy XIV bad, The Taken King has that same A Realm Reborn relaunch feel. Destiny still isn’t perfect, but The Taken King brings it much closer to what fans originally hoped and dreamed for the series.

Persona 4: Dancing All Night

News Editor ZhiQing Wan

Persona 4: Dancing All Night deserves an honorable mention because it’s just got so much heart. Dancing All Night isn’t just a simple rhythm game that exists merely to provide fanservice to series diehards. I mean, yes, it does that, but you can’t ignore its surprisingly dark, and incredible story that’s present here as well. Dancing All Night isn’t afraid to court the controversy in Japanese pop idol culture, and it does that with so much style.

Your favorite tracks have all been remixed and they sound better than ever. You get to watch Kanji dance in a speedo. You get to play as Nanako and watch as she dances to the Junes jingle. And most importantly, you get to dress Teddie up as Igor. Persona 4: Dancing All Night reminds us to never abandon the pursuit of our true selves. And, hell, it’s such a holly jolly good way to pass your time while commuting to work or school, if nothing else.

Soma

Staff Writer Chaz Miller

SOMA deserves a nod here if only for grabbing me like no game in a while. Building a great story and sense of dread throughout, it puts together a full package with appeal beyond the horror genre. Expertly crafted and finely polished, SOMA is a fantastic game, and may work its way into some Game of the Year discussions.